Ground compacting apparatus



United States Patent Inventor Philipp Uebel Munich, Germany Appl No. 821,283 Filed May 2, 1969 Patented Dec. 1, 1970 Assignee Wacker-Werke KG Munich, Germany a firm Priority May 14, 1968 France No. 151,722

GROUND COMPACTING APPARATUS 8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 94/48 Int. Cl EOlc 19/30 Field of Search 94/48, 49, 45

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,146,101 2/1939 Weber 94/48 2,239,785 4/1941 Jackson 94/48X 2,746,367 5/1956 Fergusonm. 94/49 2,928,312] 3/1960 Kadlec 94/48 Primary Examiner-Nile C. Byers, Jr. Attorney-Robert H. Jacob ABSTRACT: In vibrating apparatus for compacting sand, gravel, concrete or similar materials that is moved by vibrating means mounted in the apparatus, and which is provided with a guide bar, the guide bar is so constructed as to be varied in length by a clamping means disposed between two tubes ofthe guide bar and connected by means of a spindle to the handle of the guide bar for rotation.

Patented Dec. 1, 1910 Sheet L or 2 INVE NTOR PHIL/PP (/5561- B W AGT.

Patented l, 1970,

Sheet BYWJ AGT.

GROUND COMPACTING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to ground working apparatus. More in particular the invention concerns a manually guided motor driven ground compacting apparatus or tool for compacting earth, gravel, sand, concrete and similar substances.

Ground compacting devices or apparatuses of the most varied designs are known. All of these devices have a guide bar disposed elastically on the compacting component. This guide bar serves the operator to steer or guide the device. Operating means for the work tool are provided on this guide bar, to wit, a gas regulating lever and for tools with large plates a shifting lever for shifting the working device to forward or reverse movement. It is also known in large and heavy ground compacting equipment to provide in addition to the guide bar on the apparatus a steering bar which may be detachably connected with the guide bar. This additional steering bar can be of telescopic form of construction and is provided for the purpose of facilitating for the operator the lateral steering of such heavy working apparatuses. This is accomplished in that in the withdrawn condition of the steering bar the lever arm is substantially enlarged.

All known embodiments of this type of earth compacting equipment are suitable above all for the compacting of large flat surface areas and in the most advantageous case also for very low trenches.

A special use of these working devices, for example, for compacting trenches in deep and braced trenches, however, is not possible, because due to the far upwardly reaching guide bar they cannot be passed through under the trench braces which are disposed at short distances from one another.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of the invention to obviate the shortcomings associated with the known devices and to provide a ground compacting device or apparatus that can be employed also where the working conditions are extremely narrow.

In accordance with the invention this problem is solved in that the guide bar equipped with an actuating or operating device for controlling or setting the driving component or factor is made optionally adjustable in length and can be stopped in any position by a clamping element disposed between concentric tubes of the guide bar and operable by a spindle having a control or adjusting member on the handle of the guide bar and a sleeve mounted nonrotatably on one of said tubes for longitudinal sliding movement by means of a thread.

The spindle may be provided with a rotating device arranged on the handle or may be fixedly mounted on the handle proper. As a clamping means or element, different elements or materials may be used. In order to obtain the clamping effect, it is possible in accordance with a further feature of the invention to form the lower end of the sleeve as a curved track upon which slides a pin fixedly mounted on the lower end of the spindle, or a cam disk also arranged at the lower end of the spindle.

The essential advantage of the arrangement in accordance with the invention resides in that earth compacting devices may also be employed in trenches of narrow transverse strutting-or propping, because the length of the guide bar and thereby its height may be adapted to the existing conditions.

A further advantage of the construction in accordance with the invention resides in that the storing, as well as also the transport of such working devices, can be effected more advantageously because the guide bar of the type which heretofore projected unwieldly or obstructively is eliminated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates one form of construction of the guide bar for ground compacting devices;

FIG. 2 shows a further possible form of construction;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows the guide bar in accordance with FIGS. l and 2 as attached to a ground working machine;

FIG. 4a is a partial view of the attachment of the guide bar to the machine taken from the right of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail showing the socket of the device illustrated in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The ground compacting apparatus which is not illustrated has a mounting element 1 secured elastically thereto. The mounting element 1 is rigidly connected with a tube 2. Inside the tube 2 a further tube 3 is movably disposed. A spindle 4 is provided in the tube 3. At the upper end of the spindle 4 a rotating member 10 is arranged. This rotating member 10 is supported on the handle 9 which is disposed at the upper end of tube 3, and is provided with operating devices or actuating members for gas control, lever 8, and for shifting to forward and reverse running, lever 11. The lower end of the spindle 4 has threadedly secured thereto a sleeve or socket 5. This sleeve or socket 5 is longitudinally movable with the tube 3, but not rotatable. Between the sleeve or socket 5, and a projecting element or collar 13 of the tube 3, the clamping elements 7 and a spacing ring or sleeve 6 are disposed.

In the embodiment in accordance with FIG. 2, the spindle 4 is rigidly connected with the handle 9. At the lower end of the spindle 4, there is provided a pin 12 that slides on a curved track in the sleeve 5. Here again, the sleeve 5 is connected for longitudinal movement with the tube 3, but is not rotatable.

The operation of the arrangement in accordance with the invention is as follows: By turning the rotating device 10, the sleeve 5 is moved upwardly upon the tube 3 by means of the threads at the lower end of the spindle 4. As a result of this movement of the sleeve 5, however, the distance between the sleeve 5 and the collar 13 is reduced, so that the clamping elements 7 become operative. By turning the rotating device 10 in opposite direction, and thereby the spindle 4 which is rigidly connected thereto, the sleeve 5 is again moved downwardly on the tube 3 so that the tension on the clamping elements is released. Owing to this arrangement, the tube 3 can be displaced in the tube 2 as desired and can be stopped in any desired position.

In the embodiment in accordance with FIG. 2, the pin 12 arranged at the lower end of the spindle 4 is moved along the curved track of the sleeve 5 by rotating the handle 9 which likewise results in tensioning or releasing the clamping elements 7, depending on the setting or positioning of the handle 9, and thereby of the pin 12 on the curved track of the sleeve 5.

The invention has been described with the two embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and what I desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is set forth in the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. In a vibrating apparatus for compacting sand, gravel, concrete and the like that is actuated by a driving factor or component produced by a vibrating device and moved over the material to be compacted and which is provided with a guide bar having mounted thereon actuating members for adjusting the driving component and the speed of movement, means for optionally varying the length of said guide bar, said guide bar comprising an inner and an outer tube and a spindle extending through said inner tube, a handle at the upper end of said guide bar on which said spindle is supported, clamping means disposed between said concentric tubes proximate the lower ends thereof, a collar around said inner tube in engagement with the upper end of said clamping means, a socket threadedly mounted on the lower end of said spindle having engagement with said clamping means and movable longitudinally and nonrotatably on said inner tube.-

is fixedly secured to said handle.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim ll, comprising a curved track defined on said socket.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6, comprising a pin at the lower end of said spindle for sliding engagement with said curved track.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 6, including a cam disk rigidly secured to the lower end of said spindle. 

